Valve spring lifter



Dec. 15, 1936. H w KULP 2,064,264

VALVE SPRING LIFTER Filed March 7, 1956 Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE SPRING LIFTER Application March 7,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to valve-spring lifters or compressors of theone-hand-operated plier type such as shown in a general way in the Kulpand Dellinger Patent No. 1,879,330 granted September 27, 1932 for Valvespring lifter.

This present invention has in view the same broad objects set forth insaid patent.

In addition, the lifter of the present invention has primarily in mindto provide a very short lifter for use on the modern automobile, thevery limited space between the fender aprons and the motor, among otherconsiderations, making the point of length one of paramount importance.At the same time, it is essential that the lifter shall be such that itsupper jaw will extend through the low-port opening and fit up behind theport flange or apron and can be forced upward behind said apron orflange to lift the lower end of the valve-spring, and also that theapplication of leverage shall be extremely efficient so thatnotwithstanding the short length of the tool it may be operated easilyby the grip or closing of the hand with very little or no more effortthan is required to lift the same size and strength valve-spring with alonger one-hand plier type lifter such, for. instance, as shown in saidpatent.

A further object is to provide for a compensatory forward movement ofthe upper jaw-beam to compensate for the forwardly and downwardlyinclined angle of the supporting lower edge face of the lower jawmembers of the lower beam, whereby the lifter may be used efficiently onmotors with extremely narrow port openings, while retaining theadvantage of close nesting of the jaw-beams in extreme closed position.

Further objects are to increase the durability and sturdiness of thetool and maintain the simplicity of its lifting and lowering orreleasing operations by employing a compound swinging leverageconstruction while avoiding the use of sliding pivots or other slideconstructions and so relating the parts as to prevent the lever elementsfrom passing through or to or beyond dead center with resultant blockingof reverse movement of the jaw-beams on the release of the locking meansuntil said lever element or elements are moved to non-blocking relationagain.

In this application I show and describe only the present preferredembodiment of my invention simply by way of illustration of the practiceof my invention as by law required, However, I realize that my inventionis capable of other and different embodiments, and that the several 5details thereof may be-modified'in various dif- 1936, Serial No. 67,718

(01. sea-86.3)

ferent ways, all without departing from my said invention. Therefore,the drawing and description. herein are to be considered as merelyillustrative and not as exclusive.

In the accompanying drawing, which is made 5 to a scale of four-fifthsactual size from a full size valve-spring lifter, with the exceptionthat no effort has been made to adhere to this scale in showing suchdetails as rivets, adjusting screws, 011 the thickness of the materialfrom 10 which the parts are made:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a valvespring lifter embodyingmy invention, in extreme open condition; 7

Figure 2, a top plan View thereof;

Figure 3, a bottom plan View thereof;

Figure 4, a side elevation in extreme closed condition; and

Figure 5, a section view on the line 55 of Figure 4, looking in thedirection of the arrows. 20

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l and p 2 represent therespective hand-levers or operating handles preferably formed of sheetmetal preferably U-shape in cross-section. Hand-lever or handle I may beintegral with the plates or bars 4 of the lower jaw-beam, or welded tothe rear ends thereof or otherwise connected thereto to be operativelyrigid therewith. Hand-lever or handle 2 has its front or forward endinterposed between the bars or plates 4 of the lower jaw 30 beam andpivotally connected thereto for swinging movement about a fixed axis bythe rivet 3 which passes through the bars 4 and the intervening forwardend portion of handle 2 and has its ends spread or upset as usual.Preferably a plate of suitable metal and substantially thicker than thematerial from which handle 2 is formed is set into the forward endportion of handle 2 and secured therein by ,a rivet l5 passing throughthe sides of said handle 2 and the intervening portion of plate I 4, therivet 3 also passing through the sides of the handle 2 and said plate 3and so serving to hold the plate [4 securely and rigidly in the end ofhandle 2. In lieu of such rivet fastening, the plate l4 may be 45secured in the forward end of the handle 2 by welding or any othersuitable usual known means or method, or the handle 2 may be formed asone integral piece with its forward end of the form of the plate l4,which is of bell-crank or 50 L-shaped lever form, the pivot pin or rivet3 passing through the heel of the L.

The lower jaw-beam comprises the bars or plates 4 having front end jawportions I2 formed with forwardly downwardly inclined supporting loweredge faces to engage and bear against the valve-tappet, crank-case orother adjacent fixed part or element. The plane of inclination of saidsupporting edge faces is such that if an imaginary line were drawnrearwardly as a straight continuation of the lower edge of said jaws I2said imaginary line would extend at a substantial distance above thehandle I before passing beyond the end thereof. However, while theinclination of said supporting edges as shown is preferred, the exactdegree of inclination thereof is not essential and it may be either moreor less, in which case the inclination of the top jaw members I3 wouldbe varied to the end and such degree as to result in their mostefficient cooperation.

Preferably the forward end portions of the bars 4 will be adjustabletoward and from each other by means of an adjusting screw extendingthrough said bars 1 and having screw-thread engagement with one of themso as to provide for the adjustment of the jaw members I2 toward andfrom each other, this construction and relationship being substantiallyas described in said Kulp and Dellinger patent.

The lower jaw beam together with its rigid hand lever or handle Ipreferably will be in the form of an elongated or gentle S-curve fromthe rear end of the handle I forward to the rear end of the lower jawmembers I2.

The upper jaw beam comprises two bars or plates 5 receiving betweentheir extreme rear end portions the toe of the bell-crank or L-shapelever IQ of the handle 2 and being pivotally connected thereto by apivot pin 9 passing through said bars 5 and said intervening toeportion. The front or forward end portions of the bars 5 are providedwith preferably integral upper jaw members I3 and an adjusting screw I5passing freely through one of said bars 5 and having screw-threadengagement with the other bar 5 provides means for adjusting said jawmembers I3 transversely with relation to each other.

A straight bar lever 8 having its lower end perforated and receiving theadjusting screw 6 between bars 4 of the lower jaw beam and having itsupper end pivotally mounted between the bars 5 of the upper jaw beam bymeans of the pivot pin I serves to pivotally connect the upper and lowerjaw-beams intermediate their jaw members and the pivot pin 3. The formof this lever 8 may be otherwise than illustrated, it is not essentialthat it be straight, or that it be disposed between the bars or theupper and/or lower jaw-beams, it being sunlcient if it be substantiallyrigid so that the two axes of pivotal connection of its end portionswill remain substantially constant and fixed or uniformly spaced withrelation to each other and it functions by its changing position withrelation to its points of pivotal connection to the respective jaw-beamsto move the jaws I2 and I3 toward and away from each other or to movethe jaws I3 toward and away from jaws I2.

Preferably the lever B will be a straight lever formed of a sheet metalstamping of U-form in cross-section.

It is not essential that the lower end of the lever 8 be not pivotallyconnected to the lower jaw beam by a pivot pin or other means distinctfrom the adjusting screw 5. However, it is preferred to have the screw 6serve the dual functions of transverse adjustment means for the bars 4with their jaw members I2 and of pivotally connecting the lower end ofthe lever 8 to the lower jaw beam as promoting simplicity and economy ofmanufacture.

The upper jaw members I3 will be inclined downwardly and forwardly andthe upper edges of the upper jaw beam bars 5 immediately adjacent therear of the jaw members I3 will be concavely downwardly curved toprovide good clearance whereby they will not strike against the loweredge of the port flange or apron during operation of the lifter inlifting or raising a valve-spring.

It will sufiice if the lower or supporting beam comprising bars 4, theupper jaw-beam comprising bars 5, and the fulcrum lever B and operatinglever comprising movable handle 2 with its operatively integral or rigidsupplement or insert I4 be so constructed, connected and related that amovement of the handle 2 toward handle I will cause a bodily forward andupward movement of the upper jaw-beam with an increasing inclinationfrom the horizontal toward the vertical and with the forward end of thejaw-beam having a greater degree of movement than its rear end, thedetails of construction whereby this is accomplished being of noparticular importance.

In the embodiment illustrated the distance between the axes of thefulcrum points 3 -and 9 is approximately four-sevenths of the distancebetween the axes of the fulcrum points 6 and I and the inclinations ofthe supporting edges of the jaw members I2 and of the jaw members I3 arecalculated in direct relation to this difference in distance between therespective sets of fulcrum points. However, this relation or proportionof distances between the respective sets of fulcrum points whilepreferred is not vital or essential, but in case of variation therefrom,or of a modified construction with new relationship of movement, theinclinations of the jaws I2 and I3 should be varied accordingly.

In the construction illustrated and above described the jaws are notmaintained strictly parallel or even approximately or substantiallyparallel, but by actual use of a full size commercial device it is foundthat they are maintained near enough to parallel for proper functioningor performance of the job for which the lifter is intended, which is allthat is necessary.

Preferably the rear portions of the bars 5 of the upper jaw-beam will belaterally inwardly offset to just snugly receive between them the toe ofthe bell-crank lever I I of the handle 2 and to be received between therear end portions of the plates 4 of the lower jaw-beam when the partsare moved to extreme closed or nested condition and the handle 2 isformed with laterally extending parts I8 extending between therespective sides of the bell-crank lever I4 and the opposed inner facesof the bars 4 of the lower jaw-beam and constituting stops engaging thelower edges of the bars 5 of the upper jaw-beam, as illustrated in Fig.4 and limiting movement of the parts beyond a definite extreme closedcondition.

Preferably some suitable lock and release means will be provided. Suchmeans may comprise an arcuate rack bar A pivoted at B between the sidesof the hand-lever, or handle 2 and sliding through a vertical slot inthe binding catch plate C mounted by pivot pin c in the hand-lever orhandle I and spring-pressed to operative locking position by the wirespring of usual known construction, a wire loop 0 7 threaded or loopedthrough a hole in the extreme end of the rack-bar A serving to preventseparation of these parts after assembly, such locking means beingsubstantially the same as shown, and more fully described in Kulp andDellinger Patent No. 1,461,275 granted July 10, 1923.

In use the hand-levers or handles l and 2 will be spread to move thejaw-beams to extreme closed condition as illustrated in Fig. 4 and inthat condition the jaws l2 and I3 will be shoved between the valvetappet and the spring retaining plate or cup, preferably and mostnaturally with the forward end portions of the lower supporting edges ofthe lower jaw members [2 resting on the tappet and the rear portionsthereof out of contact therewith, The operator then closes his hand toswing the handles toward each other, so causing the forward and upwardtilting movement of upper jaw beam, the forward and upward movement ofthe upper end of which compensates the slight rearward and downwardrocking movement of the lower jaw beam as the supporting lower edges ofthe jaw members I2 come to rest flat against the top of the tappet.

Of course this manner of use of the lifter, while preferred, is notessential and it may be inserted between the parts mentioned and thelower supporting edges of the jaw members I2 allowed to rest flat on thetappet before lifting movement of the handles l and 2 is initiated withsubstantially equally eflicient operation and operative results. In thisit is recognized that in various garages and shops it will be appliedand used in a great variety of different ways and under a wide varietyof difierent conditions and has been designed to efficiently operateunder a large range of different means and ways of application andoperation.

It is found in actual practice and in comparative use on the same springof the same engine that the lifter of the present invention may beoperated to raise the spring without requiring any more effort orenergy, or if so extremely little the difference not being noticeable byhand test by the usual mechanic, than is required to operate the lifterforming the subject matter of Kulp and Dellinger Patent 1,879,330 in itscommercial embodiment in the form substantially as there illustrated andthe latter in its extreme closed condition shown in Fig. 4 of saidpatent has a length of approximately ten and oneeighth inches, whereasthe commercial embodiment of the present invention used in saidcomparison under actual usual operative conditions on the same engineand same valve-spring thereof in its extreme closed condition as shownin Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing has an extreme length ofapproximately, and not exceeding, eight and seven-eighths inches, adifference of a little more than an inch in length with no sacrifice, orat least no noticeable sacrifice, in ease of operation, and thisdifference of slightly over an inch in length is of much importancehaving in view the conditions under, and close quarters in, which thelifter of the present invention is to be used.

I claim:

1. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a supporting beam comprised ofa pair of resilient spaced bars and a handle connecting their rearportions and having jaw members at their forward ends having forwardlyand downwardly inclined supporting lower edge faces, and an adjustingmeans'engaging said bars to relatively adjust the positions of said jawmembers transversely of said beam, in combination with an upper jaw-beamhaving forwardly and downwardly inclined jaw members at its forward end,a relatively rigid lever having its lower end freely pivotally mountedon said adjusting means, means pivotally connecting the upper end ofsaid lever to said jaw-rbeam to the rear of said adjusting means, abell-crank lever pivotally mounted on said supporting beam, and meanspivotally connecting the rear end portion of said jaw-beam and the toeportion of said bell-crank lever, the distance between the axes of thepivotal mounting of said bell-crank lever and the pivotal connectionbetween-the latter and said jaw-beam being equal to approximatelyfoursevenths of the distance between the axes of the fulcrum points ofsaid relatively rigid lever.

2. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a supporting beam having a jawat its forward end having forwardly and downwardly inclined supportinglower edge faces, in combination with an upper jaw-beam having aforwardly and downwardly inclined jaw at its forward end, a relativelyrigid lever, means pivotally connecting the lower end of said lever tosaid supporting beam, means pivotally connecting the upper end of saidlever to said jaw-beam to the rear of its pivotal connection to saidsupporting beam, an operating lever pivotally mounted on said supportingbeam, and means pivotally connecting the rear portion of said jaw-beamand said operating lever, the distance between the axes of the pivotalmounting of said operating lever and the pivotal connection between thelatter and said jaw-beam being only slightly in excess of one-half ofthe distance between the axes of the fulcrum points of said relativelyrigid lever.

3. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a supporting beam, incombination with an upper jaw-beam, a relatively rigid lever, meanspivotally connecting the lower end of said lever to said supportingbeam, means pivotally connecting the upper end of said lever to saidjawbeam to the rear of its pivotal connection to said supporting beam,an operating lever pivotally mounted on said supporting beam, and meanspivotally connecting the rear portion of said jaw-beam! and saidoperating lever, the distance between the axes of the pivotal mountingof said operating lever and the pivotal connection between the latterand said jaw-beam being less than two-thirds of the distance between theaxes of the fulcrum points of said relatively rigid lever.

4. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a supporting beam, incombination with an upper jaw-beam, an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedlever having its lower end pivotally connected to said supporting beamand its upper end pivotally connected to said jaw-beam, an operatinglever pivotally mounted on said supporting beam, and means pivotallyconnecting the rear portion of said jaw-beam and said operating lever,the distance between the axes of the pivotal mounting of said operatinglever and the pivotal connection between the latter and said jawbeambeing less than the distance between the axes of the fulcrum points ofsaid inclined lever.

5. A valve-spring-lifting' tool comprising a supporting beam, incombination with an upbeam and its upper end pivotally connected to saidjaw-beam, an operating lever pivotally mounted on said supporting beam,and means pivotally connecting the rear portion of said jaw-beam andsaid operating lever, the distance between the axes of the pivotalmounting of said operating lever and the pivotal connection between thelatter and said jaw-beam being less than the distance between the axesof the fulcrum points of said relatively rigid lever.

6. A valve-spring-lifting tool comprising a supporting beam having ahandle portion, in combination with an upper jaw beam, a relativelyrigid lever having its lower end pivotally HARRY W. KULP.

